Onwards
by fidemadamo
Summary: "From behind the lens of his camera, Prompto says, 'You okay there, buddy? A little in awe? Man, I wish I could pet her too.' For a moment, there are no words. Then, quietly, Noctis says, 'But I don't understand. I'm not—I'm not a virgin.'br / As if expecting the unicorn to retreat from him, his stroking stops. Undeterred, the unicorn steps closer and presses her face into his."


They find her somewhere near the Quay, tucked into the caves naturally formed into the rock faces that surround the shore.

(They've been searching for some rare bloom—something Prompto has been wanting a good photo of. For all he likes to acts as though he isn't, Noctis is by nature an indulgent and loving person. As always, he'd agreed to pull over before Prompto's pleading question had even been concluded. The flower in question only grows in low light and abundant water. A curious thing, considering the amount of salt likely to be present in water from the area, but Ignis knows well enough that some things in Eos cannot be explained with logic alone.)

Prompto notices her first, because of course he does. He'd taken off into the rocky hillside at top speed, camera in hand, shouting over his shoulder about how excited he was to get a good shot. No one worries much when he does this. Prompto, as unfamiliar with the foreign terrain as they are and more fearful by a half, always stays within shouting distance. Gladio watches Noctis as he crouches to peer down at a thatch of colorful weeds, his hair swaying in the breeze. In these quiet moments, Ignis enjoys watching his friends, observing them as what they are—young men—instead of what they are meant to do.

Not a moment later, Prompto returns where he'd disappeared out of sight, arms flailing. He is in such a hurry that his booted feet slide over a small, grassless clearing amidst the vegetation, kicking up a small swirl of sand. Gladio and Noctis grin at each other in amusement, then they glance over at Ignis. He doesn't try to hide his own smile.

"Guys! Guys guys _guysguysguys—_ "

"What is it? Did you see a Chocobo?" Noctis quips, smiling up at him. His eyes are as tired as ever. They should camp soon.

Prompto carefully places his camera underneath one wiry arm and clasps his hands together in front of his face. Breathing in, he says, "I saw… a unicorn."

"A what? You've got to be kidding." Gladio scoffs, dismissive. Ignis knows him well enough to see that the sentiment is insincere if the curiosity in his warm, intelligent eyes have anything to say.

Noctis stands, his face unreadable. "A unicorn? No way."

"We have seen stranger things on our travels." Ignis points out, voice carefully neutral.

"Can we please go see her? Noct, please? This would be the shot of a lifetime!" Prompto begs, swaying close to the prince. Noctis playfully swipes at his face, and Ignis reads defeat in his eyes.

Gladio strolls forward and slings an arm around Noctis' shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see his Highness over here."

"Why?" Prompto asks. "Because he's like, the chosen?" With these words he makes waving hand gestures, miming the formation of a rainbow. Gladio laughs but doesn't answer.

On the way there, Prompto questions them about the mythical creature. Why didn't she run from him? Why were all unicorns girls again? Did they think she would pose for the camera? Would Noctis be able to summon her?

Typically, Noctis is happy enough to answer his friend's questions, amused by his curiosity as always, but he becomes quieter the closer they are to their destination. When Prompto finally spots his target, letting out a triumphant whoop, Noctis frowns, face clouding over.

"Alright?" Ignis asks, reaching out to touch the prince's shoulder. Noctis jerks. After a beat of silence, his face reddens, and he looks away after giving Ignis a brief nod.

Thankfully, Prompto and Gladio have not noticed their exchange. Ignis allows himself to get a truly good look at the unicorn, and his breath is taken away.

She is a tall and noble beast, intelligent eyes bearing down on them from underneath a curtain of silvery blond hair. Her horn looks dangerous enough to kill, were any of them tall enough to reach it, and when she turns her gaze on Noctis, the prince flinches away from her. The sun catches her powerful form at something of an angle, illuminating white hair and the glittering cone of her horn in an almost blinding manner.

"Pet her," Gladio tells Prompto, grinning crookedly.

"What's gonna happen?" Prompto demands, giving the Shield a suspicious frown. Ignis makes a mental note to pull Gladio aside, after this. Prompto may joke it off, but he is truly bothered by his lack of knowledge on the Astrals. This creature, one of Their messengers, is likely something he has only heard of in fairytales.

"Just pet her," Gladio tells him.

Prompto reaches out, hesitantly. Smiling nervously, he says, "Hey there, girl. You're so pretty. Can I get a picture? Your hair looks _great_ , by the way, love the sparkle."

At first, it appears she will remain where she is. However, Prompto's fingers linger just over the fall of her hair and she snorts, dancing just out of his reach. The bark of laughter that booms out of Gladio's chest surprises all of them.

"Well, what 'd ya know? You have been to your first rodeo, at least." He punches Prompto on the arm.

"My first what?" Prompto asks, sullenly rubbing the sore spot Gladio left behind. "Why can't I touch her?"

"If I may," Ignis interjects. He approaches the unicorn as well, reaching out. As once before, she snorts, shifting out of his reach. "Ah. So the legends are true."

He can't help but feel a little disappointed himself. She is a marvelous animal. She turns her head, huffing, and he notices one again as her gaze focuses on their prince, frozen in place.

"What legends? Guys?" Prompto whines.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gladio begins to speak. They part for the unicorn as she moves forward, approaching Noctis.

"According to the old texts, unicorns will only bond with someone who is pure. In other words, you have to be a virgin. Which means," and here he turns to Prompto with a knowing smile. "you're not a virgin."

The noise Prompto lets out is indescribable, and were he looking, Ignis is sure his expression would have been one for the books. However, his eyes are on the prince.

He watches as Noctis reaches out to touch, hesitating just a second. The unicorn lowers her head, and with a small nickering sound, she moves until the palm of his hands cradle her. At the feel of her hair, the Prince lets out a low, shuddering breath. Instead of the usual wonder and affection that fills his eyes when he interacts with animals, there is nothing but pain and confusion. Ignis moves closer and watches as tears well in his dark blue eyes.

"Hey there." He says, voice shaky.

"And, as you can see, our loverboy's been promised to Lady Lunafreya for a while," Gladio tells Prompto in an aside.

Astonished, Prompto captures a few photos. From behind the lens of his camera, Prompto says, "You okay there, buddy? A little in awe? Man, I wish I could pet her too."

For a moment, there are no words. Then, quietly, Noctis says, "But I don't understand. I'm not—I'm not a virgin."  
As if expecting the unicorn to retreat from him, his stroking stops. Undeterred, the unicorn steps closer and presses her face into his.

"What do you mean, Noct? Look at what's happening. You're, like, petting a virgin astral monster, or something." Prompto says, confused. He takes a seat on the ground, something he is wont to do when tired or simply in need of a moment of thought.

"Yeah, you wanna elaborate?" Gladio adds, frowning.

Ignis merely raises a concerned brow. There isn't much arguing with the magic of the Astrals.

Their joint confusion dissolves into panic at the way Noctis looks at the three of them, eyes shining, and then to his new animal companion. He pats her neck and then moves away. When she moves forward, following his hands, he lets out a small noise of protest and looks down at his feet.

"I'm not a virgin. There was—" the unicorn nudges his head, blowing air out of her nose. Noctis smiles up at her, but it is a pained smile.

"There was who?" Gladio presses, his expression slowly morphing into one of the classic angered confusion Ignis has only seen him express.

Noctis turns to Ignis, biting his lip. "Do you remember when I asked dad if I could get an apartment? I was like, fifteen? That was after the ball we held for Walpurgis."

Ignis nods. His chest is tight. He has a creeping sensation he knows where this story is going. "I remember. You got into an argument with one of the nobles and left in quite a huff. King Regis was not pleased when you returned."

Noctis nods along with every word, near impatient. "I didn't want to be in the stupid ball. I wanted to see the lights around the city, or something dumb like that. One of the guests just kept talking at me and I was so—" he pauses, looks down.

"What happened, Noct?" Prompto asks, his brows furrowed in concern.

"The, uh, the guy I was arguing with followed me. Apologized. I remember just being really tired? Tired of dad trying to push that life onto me, tired of missing Luna, tired of exchanging small talk with people I didn't know. I just wanted to just _be_. So I accepted his apology and we talked for a while. It was nice. I got to see the lights."

"So, what are you getting at, Noctis?" Gladio asks, voice low.

Noctis presses his face into the unicorn's elegant neck, and when his shoulders begin to shake, Ignis starts forward.

"Noctis, are you saying— "

"I didn't want to, but I just let him lead me away. He told me that dad would be angry if he found out what happened. I got to see the lights like I wanted, so I should be grateful. He pulled me into this alley and—I just… let him do whatever he wanted."

It is Prompto who reaches him first. Ignis had been frozen with his hand out without even realizing it, but he is moved into action when Noctis dislodges himself from the unicorn and allows Prompto to pull him into a tight hug, pressing his face into the blond's freckled shoulder. The unicorn moves out of reach, looming over them with watchful and benevolent eyes.

Noctis is well and truly crying now. When Gladio approaches, face shuttered darkly, and places a hand on his back, the Prince visibly slackens, his sobs audible in the deafening silence that has overtaken them. Ignis wills his feet to take them where the three of them stand, and after a moment's hesitation, he takes a hold of his warm hand and squeezes it with his own gloved fingers.

Of course.  
How could he have missed it? When the prince returned that night, he appeared to be none the worse for wear aside from hair in disarray and a ginger quality to his movements. Ignis had chalked it up to the run and his dodgy knee—his childhood injury had never left him completely, making more strenuous physical activity more of a challenge for him than most. But when King Regis scolded him, he had been uncharacteristically combative, begging to be sent to his quarters. He'd tripped on his way out, seemingly over nothing, but Gladio had been there to catch him by the arm. Noctis had flinched of his touch so violently that it sent him teeter-tottering again, but that time he had righted himself and fled.

A month later, he had asked for the apartment.

What had Ignis thought the nobleman was doing? Where had the glaive been? Why hadn't _he_ done anything? Ignis knows the very man Noctis is speaking of. A red-haired, benign-faced man with a bland smile and faded freckles. Did he escape Insomnia? Did he fall to the Empire's hands?

How many times had he done that before? Has he done it since? It has been nearly five years ago, today.  
Anger and frustration rise in Ignis, enough that his grip tightens on Noctis' hand. The prince winces, and the anger leaves him in a rush.

Noctis attempts to speak several times, but his upset garbles his words and frustrates him further. Gladio shushes him with a single word, rubbing comforting circles between his shoulder blades. The four of them stand there for what feels like hours, moving only to change position. By the time they disengage, Noctis is snuffling into Ignis' shirt. Not once has he moved to return anyone's touches or show his face, visibly ashamed by his secret. He's cried himself into further exhaustion, surely, for his voice is weak and his skin is clammy when he says, "I'm okay."

He doesn't look at them.

"Noctis, I would like to remind you that the Astrals do not lie." Ignis says, in what he hopes is a comforting enough truth.

There is a vicious kind of satisfaction curling in his chest at this, as well, and at the way the prince looks back over at their stalwart companion with longing eyes, a small smile works its way onto his face.

"Yeah man," Prompto says, voice nasally. His nose is red, and so are his eyes. "that didn't—uh, that didn't—it _did_ matter but, you know. That's different."

Noctis looks to Ignis as if for confirmation, and Ignis nods, adjusting his glasses. Thinking again, he removes them to scrub at his eyes and then replaces them.

Noctis reaches for the unicorn. Once again, she presses her face into his hand.

"Thank you," he tells her, "for giving me this."

~*~*~

After all is said and done, they make camp. Their new companion is resplendent in the moon light, folding long, powerful legs beneath her for a brief nap. Her horn lights the camp as well as any fire, illuminating sparkles at the ground. Noctis strokes her mane for a while. Ignis has him drink water and prepares his favorite meal. After he has been properly nourished, Ignis sends him to bed early. Worried, Prompto follows.  
From across the fire, Gladio frowns at Ignis.

"I think I know the man Noctis was talking about."

"Lord Sinderby. A minor noble, if I am remembering correctly. He is very good at social climbing." Ignis reports, eyes cast down at the fire. He feels as though he has failed his prince. He knows that Gladiolus feels this tenfold.

"I wanna find him." Gladio rumbles, face dark.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't want to as well. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to make this a priority—not the way things are."

"Dammit, Ignis," Gladio says, slamming his fist onto his thigh.

"We would do well to assume he fell with Insomnia. It was a widespread attack."

"Cut the bullshit." Gladio interrupts.

Frustrated, Ignis falls silent. He prefers not to Indulge Gladio's more frustrating moods and is empathetic towards his anger regardless. After a moment, Gladio sighs.

"Let's just—let's just call it a night. We can think about it later." He suggests.

Ignis murmurs an agreement.

The three of them surround the prince that night.

In the morning, he wakes with a smile on his face. For the moment, Ignis disregards the bitter taste lingering at the back of his tongue. Ever onwards, he thinks, watching the Prince greet their new companion. Ever onwards.


End file.
